When it comes to deciding where to go for the family holiday, the task has traditionally fallen to mum. But these days one in three parents let their kids decide, a One Poll survey for Thomas Cook reveals.

Of the children surveyed, 60 per cent said their dream trip would include a waterpark. And more and more holiday firms are obliging by providing them at their resorts.

This summer Aquasol Village in Coral Bay, Cyprus, has opened a free waterpark with a lazy river, multi-lane slides, a speed-slide, children’s slides and body slides. A seven-night all-inclusive stay with Airtours Aquamania starts at £2,526 for a family of four (£631pp) with flights from Gatwick on August 27. Call: 0844 412 5970

With heated indoor and outdoor pools, a lazy river, waterslides and caves, the lively waterpark at Keycamp’s La Pointe St Gilles parc in Brittany, France, is a hit with fun-loving families. A seven-night break from August 25 staying in a two-bedroom Villanova mobile home, which sleeps up to two adults and four children, costs from £800.50 per party. Ferry crossings and fly-drive packages are available at a supplement. Call: 0844 406 0319

With waterparks on the top of children’s holiday wishlists, First Choice launched its SplashWorld resorts – hotels with a water park on site or nearby. Seven nights all-inclusive at three-star Aqualand Village SplashWorld resort in Corfu cost from £895pp based on a family of four sharing with flights from Bournemouth on August 23. Call: 0871 200 7799

Eurocamp’s La Baume Parc on the French Riviera has a seven-pool complex with a four-lane water slide, a lagoon pool with slides and a new toddler pool. And if your family tires of all that, the largest waterpark on the Cote D’Azur, Aqualand Frejus, is only a few miles away. A seven-night break at La Baume from August 26 costs £906. Accommodation is a two-bedroom Horizon mobile home, which sleeps seven people (maximum four adults). Ferry crossings and fly-drive packages can be arranged at a supplement. Call: 0844 406 0552

Free Wi-Fi on Brittany Ferries

Free Wi-Fi is now available on Brittany Ferries going from the UK and Ireland to France and Spain.

The service – available 24 hours a day throughout most public areas of each ferry – allows internet use via a satellite link for laptops, tablets and smartphones.

Travellers will each receive an individual access code printed on their boarding card when they check in.

A spokesman said: “Although many view holidays as a time to escape the rigours of work, many also want to remain in touch with friends and family by email and social media.

“We know through talking to our customers that smartphones, tablets and laptops are becoming a crucial part of their lives and they increasingly expect free Wi-Fi as part of a modern travel experience.

“Now they can log on, stay in touch, work or play online and put the final touches to their holiday plans – even in the middle of the English Channel or Bay of Biscay.”

Airline update

Travellers on the EE mobile network can now use their phones for calls, texts or web browsing in-flight with AeroMobile.

The service is now on 150 aircraft across nine airlines, including Virgin Atlantic, Emirates, Etihad and SAS. Rates at 35,000ft are typically similar to “rest of world” roaming fees.

Majorca and Dalaman routes will also offer cruise and stay deals on Thomson Dream and Thomson Celebration, while Corfu will offer Thomson Majesty deals.

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Save £20 per person on Monarch flights between September 1 and December 18. Use the code “EXTRA20” when booking at www.monarch.co.uk.

Valid until this Thursday.

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Glasgow has released a sporting guide to mark the fact that there’s just one year to go before it hosts the Commonwealth Games.

Go for Gold in Glasgow lists activities from swimming to lawn bowls and gymnastics to shooting as it prepares to welcome a million people from across the globe for the 2014 showcase, from July 23 to August 4.

You can try a spin on the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome (drop-in sessions start from £10 for adults) or conquer the new £600,000, 3.5-mile mountain biking circuit (cycle hire £40 a day).

Visit the guide online. Tickets for the Games go sale on August 19 at www.glasgow2014.com/tickets. Registration now open.

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Light the blue touch paper and retire to Plymouth for a free pyrotechnic pageant later this month.

More than four tonnes of fireworks will be set off over Plymouth Sound, starting at 9.30pm on both evenings.

Fairground rides and refreshment stalls on the Hoe will open at 2pm with live music and entertainment happening from 6.30pm.

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Make the most of roller coasters by buying a full price £43.20 adult one day ticket for Surrey’s Thorpe Park and get unlimited access until it closes for the season on November 4.

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Check into a pop academy with X factor finalists Same Difference at Haven parks throughout the summer. The duo are performing live on stage and also passing on their skills to kids in free sessions with tips on vocal skills, stage presence and dance routines. Dates are at www.haven.com, call: 0871 230 1900.

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Set sail for the Isle of Man and taste seafaring tradition. Peel Traditional Boat Weekend runs for five days from tomorrow and will feature an array of classic boats, plus activities and entertainment including boat building competitions, traditional Manx kipper breakfasts and ceilidh dancing.

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Billed as London’s most extreme river experience, City Cruises’ ThamesJet will set off from Westminster Pier and – once it has passed Tower Bridge – will travel at speeds of up to 40mph towards the Thames Barrier. With a jet-engine on board, it will be the fastest boat on the river. A Thames Rush 15-minute ride costs £35 for adults, £21 for five to 15-year-olds.

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Catch a Virgin train on its West Coast route this autumn and you could be travelling with a famous writer. The Train Line is launching the UK’s first high speed book signings from September 1. Writers confirmed so far include Joanna Trollope and comedian Ruby Wax (pictured).

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A unicycle, half a wedding cake and a stuffed fox are some of the weirdest items left at festival sites and on Big Green Coaches so far this year, the music travel company says. It is offering travel packages to the V Festival, Creamfields and Bestival – just make sure you take everything home afterwards.

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Abroad

The additions to the collection of premium four and five-star hotels bring the range to 26 and a week all-inclusive at the five-star Sentido Lykia Resort & Spa in Oludeniz, Turkey, will cost from £749 per person, departing from Gatwick on May 6 and based on two sharing.

Also new for 2014 are three Sunwing Family Resorts in Crete, Rhodes and Cyprus, with free Wi-Fi, a mix of pools for small children, teenagers and adults, a range of facilities from tots to teens, entertainment and meal options from self-catering to all-inclusive.

Seven nights all-inclusive at the four-star Sunwing Kallithea Beach Family Resort on Rhodes will cost from £1,849 for a family of four, flying from Manchester on May 3. Call: 0844 412 5970.

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Good news for the holiday industry in Tunisia and Spain from the national tourist boards. UK visitor figures to the North Africa nation are up 46% year on year, while there are 9.3% more of us heading to the Costas.

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Wallet-friendly three-star all-inclusives are now on sale from First Choice for next summer.

The new SuneoClub brand hotels – suitable for families, couples and groups – are in eight beach resorts in the Costa del Sol, Menorca, Ibiza, Rhodes, Kos, Corfu, Cyprus and Turkey. Daytime activities and evening entertainment are included. A First Choice spokesman said: “SuneoClub has been designed to provide excellent service, food and comfort with a sun and beach location.”

Seven-night holidays at the SuneoClub Mar de Menorca, all inclusive, cost from £430pp, based on two sharing and flying from Manchester on May 29-June 4, 2014. Call: 0844 871 1604.

Jurys Inn’s summer sale has up to 20% off stays to September 8 – and kids under 12 stay free when sharing with parents.

Deals with admission to top tourist attractions are available for the school break, too, including Jurys Inn Southampton with one night’s B&B for a family of four sharing with entry tickets for Paultons Park and Peppa Pig World from £139; and Jurys Inn Birmingham with one night’s B&B for a family of four sharing with a family ticket to Cadbury World from £108. Call: 0870 4100 800.

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Thistle hotels are appointing a Head of Happiness at selected hotels for the summer months.

The cheery concierge will sport a fluorescent Hawaiian shirt, a sunny smile and share information on fun activities available at each hotel and its surrounding area.

Rooms are on offer at the 31 properties for £69 a night B&B to September 1.

Cruise news

Three years of doggedly determined persuasion from Saga Holidays cruise director Neil Horrocks paid off this week when Ralph McTell made his first performance at sea.

And what a show it was! Ninety minutes of nostalgia and emotion, ending inevitably with Streets of London. It all came as a surprise to the 450 passengers on Quest for Adventure as it had not been advertised prior to sailing from Dover to the Norwegian fjords. Neil has been a fan since, as a student in the late 90s, he saw McTell in concert in Manchester. The singer chose the route, from Stavanger to Bergen, because his wife Nanna is Norwegian.

Neil said: “He was wary – when you say ‘cruise ship’, people presume it will be massive and impersonal.” McTell was won over.

His parting words were: “Thank you for inviting me. I don’t feel like I joined a cruise ship, I feel like I became part of a wonderful family.”

To adapt Streets of London, it looks like Neil showed Ralph something to change his mind...

His next challenge is to persuade Billy Connolly to perform. Neil says: “Given that he described cruises as being like an old folks’ home with the option of drowning, it might be difficult.” I have a feeling he’ll pull it off.

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Take the Eurostar from Ebbsfleet to Paris and spend seven nights gliding down the Seine to Rouen on the AmaLegro river cruiser. The cruise, departing on August 16, costs £1,699pp including Eurostar travel, meals with wine and beer and sightseeing tours. Call: 0808 223 5009

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Book a 30-night cruise to the West Indies by August 9 and a second passenger travels free. That brings the cost of the cruise for two on Marco Polo to £1,520pp. The ship sails from Tilbury on November 3 stopping at the Azores before crossing the Atlantic to Antigua. Other ports of call include St Barts, St Maarten, St Kitts and St Lucia. Call: 0844 414 6185

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Thomson Cruise has cut the cost of a seven-night full-board Ancient Wonders cruise, which now starts at £748pp. Thomson Celebration departs on August 26 from Marmaris in Turkey. Price includes flights. Call: 0871 230 2800